GIBBS CHARGES FROM 22ND TO WIN NUMBER SEVEN SATURDAY AT FIVE MILE POINT SPEEDWAY

KIRKWOOD, NY…Mitch Gibbs charged from his 22nd starting spot to capture his seventh 358 Modified feature win Saturday at Five Mile Point Speedway. Jeff Cleveland won for the sixth time, while Tracy Gregory, Bryan Lindsey and Fran Reed all won for the first time against the biggest field of cars of the season.

After the 32 car Modified field was paired down to 24 starters, Dave Calaman led for the first three circuits of the main event before relinquishing it to Don Hart, Jr. Eighth starting Alan Rudalavage wasted not time moving to the front as he took over second on lap five. He then closed right in on Hart for the lead.
Rudalavage was fighting a terrible push. It seemed that every time he was able to pull ahead of Hart for the lead, he would push up just high enough to give it back. The two drivers set a torrid pace as they were hooked up in a tremendous battle for the lead.
Meanwhile Gibbs was flying through the field from his 22nd starting position. It took him just 11 laps to crack the top five and he then moved past Glenn Knapp for second on lap 16. Gibbs, who had gone two weeks without a win, set his sights on Hart and Rudalavage.
With nine laps to go he drove deep into turn one to go three wide for the lead. As he came out of turn two he made the pass stick and he darted into the lead. Gibbs would never look back over the final eight laps and he cruised to his seventh win of the season.
Hart was second ahead of Rudalavage, Knapp and Calaman. Dana Wagner, Dave Locke, Jim Potts, Billy Thornton and Brian Malcomb rounded out the top ten.

Fred Christ paced the field for the first seven laps of the Street Stock feature, before losing the lead to Ken Sparks, Jr. Tracy Gregory, in only his second start of the season at the Point, started 11th and worked his way to the front.
Gregory moved into second and after chasing Sparks, he outgunned him on a restart with five laps to go. Gregory went onto win his first feature at Five Mile Point over Sparks, Brett Spoor, Mike Mills and Rick Brown. Positions six through ten went to Jerry Liford, Byron Pitcher, Pete Sobol, Jerry Tonti and Ken Taugher.

Jeff Cleveland took the lead on lap four and powered to his sixth Grand American Modified win of the season. He was followed by Kevin Cole, Charlie Gilbert, Joe Novak and Joel Batzel. Sixth through tenth went to Joe Cole, Bob Chapman, Gordy Isham, Gil Sharpsteen and Bill Hawkins.

The Pure Stock feature was a thriller. Bryan Lindsey led from the drop of the green but he was facing a heavy challenge from several cars. On the last lap, a lapped car got out of shape in front of the leaders in turn two with all of them scrambling for position. Lindsey was able to hold off Walt McClenon by a tiny margin to claim his first career win.
McClenon was second ahead of Mike Lartz, Cory Bond and a tie for fifth between Randy Percival and Harry Marvin III. Rounding out the top ten were Toby Sparks, Mahlon Shoemaker, Jeremy Shaw and Bob Tyriw.

Fran Reed, one of the original Figure 8 drivers from a few years ago, went wire to wire to claim his first career win. He was followed by Brian Garvey, Steve Dechow, Bubba Folk and Mark Andrus.

Two big nights of racing are coming up this week at the Point. This Saturday is Poster Contest Night featuring a full show of 358 Modifieds, Street Stocks, Grand American Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Figure 8‘s. Race time is 6:30 p.m. The attention then turns to this Tuesday, July 30th when Time Warner Cable presents the 52nd Anniversary Special Fulton Qualifier for 358 Modifieds and a STAR Series and Race of Champions Qualifier for the Street Stocks. Race time on Tuesday is 7:15 p.m.

COUNTER POINTS…The 32 car Modified field resulted in the running of a B-Main with increase purse being paid out…Proving the competitiveness of the Modified field is the fact that three of the four feature winners in 2002 were forced to qualify out of the B-Main…Mechanics Race winners were Darwin Greene, Lee Sharpsteen, Rip Durkin and Alan Bush.